Rate My Professor Sarah Colhoun

Sarah Colhoun serves as Research Fellow in the Va'a o Tautai – Centre for Pacific Health, Division of Health Sciences, and Research Fellow (Māori Health) in the Ngāi Tahu Māori Health Research Unit at the University of Otago. She earned her Master of Public Health (MPH) and Master of Arts (MA) from the University of Otago, complemented by a Certificate Te Ara Reo Māori (Advanced) from Te Wananga o Aotearoa. Bringing 15 years of expertise in public health analysis and research, she previously held positions as Senior Tutor and Teaching Fellow, instructing in the Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) programme on ENGL 124 (Language and Communication/Effective Communication) and tutoring ENGL 127 (Effective Writing) in Summer School. Raised in a farming family in southern Aotearoa New Zealand, she has extensive experience across the South Island and international travel to Australia, the UK, and Europe.

Sarah Colhoun's academic interests centre on advancing health equity for priority populations—Māori, Pacific peoples, and those with disabilities—while supporting older adults and children. With strong qualitative skills augmented by mixed and quantitative methods, her work generates evidence to refine health and social systems and shape policy. Her ongoing Va'a o Tautai project, 'Understanding Big Data', examines case studies in child protection and ageing. Her MA research delved into natural environments' contributions to health and wellbeing. Notable publications include "Transport practices of Māori Kaumātua (Indigenous elders) in Aotearoa New Zealand: baseline findings from prospective older adults transport and health study (NZPATHS)" (BMC Public Health, 2025); "‘If you thought it was going to make a difference, you'd do it straight away’: School staff decisions to report to Child Protection" (Child & Family Social Work, 2025); "Māori perspectives on a potential low dose CT lung cancer screening programme in Aotearoa New Zealand: results of a mixed-method cross-sectional survey" (BMC Public Health, 2026); and contributions to studies on police reports in child protection and Pacific university students' wellbeing. She actively participates in the Collaboration for Ageing Research Excellence (CARE), Transport Research Network (TRN), Public Health Association (PHA), interRAI Research Network, and Centre for Co-Created Ageing Research (CCREATE).